Yellow Alert for Serbia Saturday, Drought Lasts to Sept 22
RHMZ has issued a yellow weather alert for Saturday over thunderstorms across Serbia, while its warning on agricultural drought and low water levels on the Danube, Sava and Tisa runs into next week.
Planning something outdoors for Saturday? Better have a plan B. The Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia (RHMZ) has issued a yellow weather alert for the entire territory of the country for September 19, because of expected thunderstorms. The same warning carries another, less visible story today: the drought that has dragged on for weeks is not letting up, and three major rivers are below low navigable levels.
What the rest of the week looks like
Today, September 17, the lowest temperature ranges from 9 to 18 degrees, and the highest from 27 to 32, around 30 degrees in Belgrade. Brief rain is possible in the north and west of the country toward the end of the day, and a moderate to strong west and northwest wind picks up in the afternoon, also in the north and west.
Tomorrow, Friday, September 18, morning temperatures will run from 9 to 17 degrees. Sources diverge on the day’s high: Mondo and Espreso put it at 26 to 32 degrees, while the RHMZ forecast carried by Informer calls for 28 to 32. Rain and thunderstorms are possible in the north of the country in the evening and overnight. Vojvodina can expect thunderstorms, more pronounced in the morning in the western part of the province, while the east and southeast of Serbia stay dry with longer sunny spells.
Over the weekend, September 19 and 20, the high will sit at 26 to 31 degrees. Noticeably colder weather arrives from the start of next week, with local showers.
Why the yellow alert was issued
The Saturday alert covers all of Serbia, and the reason is expected thunderstorms. In its explanation of the warning, RHMZ says the situation is not cause for panic, but it does call for caution.
The weather conditions that have been forecast are not unusual, but caution is still needed, RHMZ says.
Anyone planning a trip, gardening or any other outdoor activity on Saturday should keep an eye on the radar picture through the day and be ready to shift plans that put them under an open sky during a thunderstorm.
Drought persists, warning runs through September 22
Even as thunderstorms are forecast, RHMZ has at the same time extended its agricultural drought warning, in force from 11:40 AM on September 15 to 11:40 AM on September 22. Current SPI index values show that severe and extreme drought conditions still prevail across most of Serbia’s territory.
Prolonged lack of precipitation and high temperatures have caused a pronounced moisture deficit in the soil. Severe and extreme drought conditions prevail across most of Serbia’s territory, RHMZ states.
The institute adds that the situation will not improve quickly.
Drought conditions will persist across most of Serbia’s territory in the period ahead, RHMZ says.
For farmers, that means difficult soil preparation and sowing of winter crops, as well as added pressure on perennial plantations, which bear the brunt of the moisture shortage the longest.
Rivers at low levels, the numbers confirm it
The drought comes with a hydrological warning of its own, in force from 6:29 AM on September 17 to 6:29 AM on September 21. According to RHMZ, water levels on the Danube, Sava and Tisa near Titel will stay below low navigable levels over the coming days. On the Kolubara and its tributaries, on the Jadar, Toplica and Vlasina, as well as on the tributaries of the West and Great Morava and on the Black and White Timok, flow rates have approached the minimum monthly average values at 95 percent reliability, in other words the biological minimum.
Specific figures for September 17: the Danube at Bezdan stands at minus 141 centimeters, at Novi Sad at minus 46, at Zemun at 174, and at Smederevo at 419 centimeters. By September 21 RHMZ forecasts a slight rise, to minus 100 at Bezdan, minus 20 at Novi Sad, 190 at Zemun and 433 centimeters at Smederevo. The Sava at Belgrade currently stands at 131 centimeters, with a forecast rise to 148, and the Tisa at Titel at 34 centimeters, with a forecast rise to 48.
Water temperature is notable too, running above average for this time of year: the Danube around 21.2 degrees, the Sava around 24.1, and the Tisa around 22.5 degrees. All four major rivers remain, according to RHMZ, at the low levels typical of September.
We reported on the high temperatures earlier as well, when meteorologist Todorovic said thermometers would climb to 31 degrees by Friday and that the heating season would not start early this autumn. The weekend changes that picture, but the drought in the soil and in the rivers remains an open question even after the first thunderstorms.
